re: #147 Barefoot Grin

Ultimately, we as a country need to be honest with ourselves. Do we consider access to medical care a human right, such that doctors are required to treat patients without regard to their ability to pay? We currently have a schizophrenic attitude towards this: if it is an immediate trauma, we say yes. As long as they make it to the ER, doctors will do everything they can - even if the end result will be survival with medical bills that require bankruptcy to clear. If it is cancer, we say no. No ability to pay for treatment means tough cookies, take the time you can to put your affairs in order and say goodbye.

Until we really resolve that (and I suspect a number of people are quite willing to say that no, people should not be treated unless they are able to pay), we’re not really going to make progress on this conversation as a nation.